Tokyo, Oct 4 : Lawmakers from Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) started voting for a new leader on Saturday, with five candidates competing to become the new party chief and virtually the country's next prime minister.

The contenders are former LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, and former economic security ministers Sanae Takaichi and Takayuki Kobayashi.

All five also ran in last year's election, which saw a record nine candidates.

The first round of the election, triggered by LDP President Shigeru Ishiba's resignation last month, consisted of 590 votes, 295 from LDP lawmakers and 295 allocated proportionally to rank-and-file party members and registered supporters.

A candidate securing an outright majority in the first round will be elected; otherwise, the top two finishers will proceed to a runoff.

Once a new LDP president is chosen, the parliament will hold a prime ministerial designation vote.

Even though the ruling bloc has failed to secure a majority in both chambers of the parliament, the new leader is almost certain to become the country's next prime minister since the LDP remains the largest party, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on September 23, Japan's LDP had launched its leadership race, with five candidates declaring their bids to succeed outgoing party chief and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

The contenders were former LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, and former economic security ministers Sanae Takaichi and Takayuki Kobayashi.

All five also ran in last year's election, which saw a record nine candidates.

The contest would focus on issues such as cooperation with opposition parties, economic measures to tackle rising prices, and rebuilding the party after successive election defeats and political funding scandals.

A candidate securing an outright majority in the first round will be elected; otherwise, the top two finishers will proceed to a runoff.

Once a new LDP president is chosen, parliament will hold a prime ministerial designation vote.

Even though the ruling bloc has failed to secure a majority in both chambers of the parliament, the new leader is almost certain to become the country's next prime minister since the LDP remains the largest party.

This year's election comes amid new challenges for the LDP. The number of eligible voting members has dropped to about 915,600, down more than 140,000 from the previous contest.

Complicating matters further, whoever becomes the new party leader must navigate the difficulties of minority governance, mend factional divides, and regain public trust.

Recent opinion polls show Shinjiro Koizumi and Sanae Takaichi leading in public popularity, but insiders stress that internal party dynamics and factional support will be decisive. The alignment of votes previously loyal to Ishiba may also prove critical in determining the outcome.

But whoever takes the helm, challenges abound. Years of sluggish growth, rising prices and a sharp depreciation of the yen have weighed heavily on the public, and the LDP's twin defeats have left its leadership under closer scrutiny.

As the ruling bloc loses its historical dominance, the task ahead is unenviable: holding together a divided party, managing minority rule, and convincing a sceptical electorate that the LDP is still capable of providing stable government.

/IANS